
I was fascinated to learn about this alternative name for the Autumn Equinox as I live in Glastonbury in Somerset, England, and many believe that this town is one of the locations where Avalon existed, with other communities also existing in Cornwall, Wales, Scotland and Ireland. The Autumn Equinox is also known as ‘the Feast of Avalon’ or ‘the Festival of the Apple Harvest.’ Some believe Avalon was a physical place, others believe it to be a mystical place of healing, and others believe that it still exists in another realm today. At the Autumn Equinox we are celebrating the abundance of the harvest and the bounty it has given us, but we are also aware that the nature around us will soon start to decay, and that we are moving from the light of summer into darker nights and days. Solar festivals involve a holding of opposites. This preparation could be practical getting our home ready to be a cosy refuge during those darker winter months, and storing food and resources for the winter, or metaphorical making sure we have spent enough time in the energies of summer, enjoying the lightness and warmth of this season. We become aware of the need for balance in our lives as we notice the balance between the light and the dark at this time of the year, and begin to prepare for the darker days of winter ahead. We can then choose to learn from the things that have not worked out, celebrate our achievements, and give thanks for the abundance in our lives and the things that are now bringing us contentment and making us feel fulfilled.Īnother theme of the Autumn Equinox is balance. What in our lives feels like it has come to fruition, what have we achieved, and what perhaps hasn’t worked out as we intended? We may wish to consider the things that we have been working towards during the last six months since the Spring Equinox.

These special celebration days are the perfect time to take stock of our own ‘harvest’. Harvest festivals are common to many different cultures around the world, and are traditionally held to celebrate the bounty of the earth at this time of the year and to give thanks for the generosity of nature. It comes six weeks after Lughnasadh and six weeks before Samhain. The Autumn Equinox is the second of three harvest festivals. WHAT DOES THE AUTUMN EQUINOX MEAN SPIRITUALLY? For more information about and rituals to honour the Wheel of the Year, you can join my membership here. The Spring Equinox falls between the 20-23 March in the northern hemisphere and between the 20-23 September in the southern hemisphere. The Autumn Equinox occurs between the 20-23 September in the Northern Hemisphere and the 20-23 March in the Southern Hemisphere. The Autumn/ Fall Equinox (also known as Mabon) and the Spring Equinox (also known as Ostara) are two of these days. It celebrates the turning of the seasons, and those who follow its rhythms mark its seasonal festival days or ‘Sabbats’. The Wheel of the Year is celebrated by many spiritual seekers all over the world, including pagans, Wiccans, witches of all kinds, and also nature-lovers who do not follow a specific spiritual tradition. The equinoxes are solar festivals in the Wheel of the Year, and happen at the times of the year when day and night have become approximately equal length all over the world, with roughly 12 hours of daylight and 12 hours of darkness. The word ‘Equinox’ is derived from Latin, meaning ‘equal night’.

You can check out my blog about the Spring Equinox here. Autumn equinox at the Chalice Well WHAT IS THE AUTUMN EQUINOX?Įquinoxes occur twice a year one in the Spring and one in the Autumn.
